90 Acres restaurant at Natirar Resort

We went out to celebrate our 40th anniversary with our daughter and son-in-law who were celebrating their 18th. That’s a lot to celebrate, so we chose a restaurant that was quite upscale with a romantic, picturesque setting. They had been to 90 Acres a few years ago and had been impressed. It’s a piece of land that has been leased long term by a guy named Bob. (That’s what we were told by the hostess when we arrived.)

A long road takes you through a beautiful park of open fields and lovely forest with trails for biking and hiking. As you approach a stunning mansion, you drive to the top of a hill overlooking most of the park. We were greeted by friendly valets who relieved us of our car at no cost. When asked, they offered to let us park ourselves. I opted for the free service.
We entered the mansion and were met by a very pleasant hostess who told us we were the first to arrive. The open bar space offered a place to pick up our own drink. We were also shown a lovely terrace where we could enjoy a cocktail. We ordered our drinks at the bar and took them outside where we had a view of their garden of flowers, veggies and herbs. We also had a nice view of much of the park. On the other side of the mansion was a wedding party.
When Marla and David arrived they joined us for drinks. Soon we were taken to our indoors table in a dining room which felt comfortable, not too formal, but with a certain understated elegance. Our servers greeted us kindly and offered complementary still or sparkling water. That was a nice touch. We were given menus and a wine list and encouraged to take our time. So far our experience was delightful.

Summation? I’m torn trying to establish a firm opinion of 90 Acres. On one hand, it was every bit as beautiful a spot as any 2 or 3 star Michelin restaurant I’ve ever visited. The service was impeccable, but not opulent. The wine list was extensive, but required indulgence. For people who are resistant to spending too much on wines, or just don’t value wines so greatly, it lacks real choices of decent wines for under $70.

Most of our dishes were very good. Some came up short. At these prices, every dish should have been an extraordinary delight.

I guess what put me off the most was that they transformed one of my favorite dishes, Cacio e Pepe, from an affordable everyman’s dish into something elitist. And they did it unsuccessfully.

Restaurants with pricey locations and higher levels of service are entitled to charge higher prices. When ingredients are more precious, they also demand higher pricing. 90 Acres had both of these qualities.

But when a place reaches for that level of presentation and cost, expectations are guaranteed to be greater. Top notch cuisine should be taken for granted.

My overall impression of this restaurant was underwhelming. This is based almost totally on the fact that dinner cost us $385 a couple. Also on the fact that the food, though more than mediocre, was not up to the level of cuisine for which they were charging. I concede that we had two cocktails and a bottle of wine per couple. Nonetheless, the overall value of what we received for what we paid was lacking.

The owners might consult with the sommeliers at Bleu Provence in Naples, Florida. Their wine list earns the Wine Spectator’s highest award each year and is still loaded with wines costing $55 to $70. Also, the dishes costing $50 should be worth $50. Make every dish as outstanding as the Salmon Rillettes or the Beet Trio.

So I would recommend 90 Acres to people on an expense account or who just don’t think about what things cost. I feel that the place has the potential for greatness, but requires several fixes.